As we enter another exciting baseball season, it is always interesting to get a feel of what we are in for. Many outlets have given their predictions, most of whom have taken the safe route. The safe route consists of assuming the teams that were bad in the previous season will continue to be bad and the teams that made the postseason the previous season will return the coming year. These outlets will generally put one team that just missed out on the playoffs the season before to make it seem they are trying to make a reach. There really is no way to accurately predict how teams in any sport will finish in a given season. While certain teams seem to have more talent on paper, it is impossible to factor in things like injuries, chemistry, and something as simple as a player backing up what it says on his baseball card. Sure, it is easy to suggest that players may depreciate due to age, it is difficult to rate exactly as much. So, in the end, there is no set prediction to trust as being better than another. All should be considered equal as long as reasoning is provided for why a certain team may finish as well or as poorly. This is my fifth year doing my team predictions. While my accuracy has improved each year, it is far from perfect. I will discuss the outlook from the previous season, the moves made in the off season, the team's farm system and what players can be expected to improve for each team. Based off of that, I have viewed the Las Vegas over unders, and have given said team a win total. As in the previous years, I will do the predictions from worst to best. The Atlanta Braves finished 2015 with a 67-95 record, forth in the National League East. The second half of the season was very difficult to watch, going through a 18-37 stretch which covered the months of August and September. They did finish off the season with a three game sweep of the NL Central DIvision Champion St. Louis Cardinals. Two distinct reviews both equally represent the state of the Atlanta Braves after a very busy winter. The trade of shortstop Andrelton Simmons (.265 batting average, 4 home runs, 44 RBI, .660 on base plus slugging) and right hand pitcher Shelby Miller (6 wins- 17 losses, 3.02 earned run average, 171 strikeouts in just over 205 innings pitched) netted the Braves some of the top prospects in all of baseball. RHP Chris Ellis and left hand pitcher Sean Newcomb came over in the Simmons trade from Los Angeles and 2015 number one overall pick Dansby Swanson and RHP Aaron Blair going to the Braves in the deal for Miller. While the future may look bright, the present looks the exact opposite of that. The Braves did get a couple of everyday players in the trades as well. SS Erick Aybar (.270, 3, 44, .639) and CF Ender Inciarte (.303, 6, 45, .747) give the Braves a little bit of a better chance to contend. They join a lineup that feature star first baseman Freddie Freeman (.276, 18, 66, .841). Freeman hopes that he is fully recovered from an injury that cost him over forty games last season. Thirty- year old Cuban born Hector Olivera (.253, 2, 11, .715) is making the transition from the infield to the outfield. Though it is no guarantee it is a given he will succeed as an OF, odds are he will be able to break out this season offensively. Veteran OF Nick Markakis (.296, 3, 53, .746) adds some depth with veteran catcher AJ Pierzynski (.300, 9, 49, .769), second baseman Jace Peterson (.239, 6, 52, .649) and third baseman Adonis Garcia (.277, 10, 26, .790) round out the projected Braves starting lineup. I would line them like this- Aybar SS, Inciarte CF, Freeman 1B, Olivera LF, Markakis RF, Garcia 3B, Pierzynski C, Peterson 2B. Assuming nobody is traded by the start of the regular season (a far fetched assumption), the Braves have the makings of an extremely solid MLB bench. OFs Michael Bourn (.238, 0, 30, .592) and Nick Swisher (.196, 6, 25, .631) return for the Braves and they added infielders Kelly Johnson (.265, 14, 47, .750) and Gordon Beckham (.209, 6, 20, .607) as well as catcher Tyler Flowers (.239, 9, 39, .652). Daniel Castro (.240, 2, 5, .606) and Emilio Bonifacio (.167, 0, 4, .390) both have a good chance of making the team because of their versatility, but a spot needs to be cleared for Castro and Bonifacio needs to simply prove he can still play. If the Braves have one strength, it is the back of their bullpen. Arodys Vizcaino (3-1, 1.60, 9 saves, 37 K in just under 34 innings) will likely be the team's closer. Jason Grilli (3-4, 2.94, 24 saves, 45 K in just under 34 innings) is returning from an Achilles injury and is joined by RHP Jim Johnson (2-6, 4.46, 10 saves). Johnson started 2014 with Atlanta and was great (2-3, 2.25, 9 saves) before his trade to LA. A wild card may be RHP Mike Foltynewicz, who was acquired in a 2014 deal with Houston. He has the opportunity to become a dominant late inning reliever after coming through the minor leagues as a starting pitcher. LHPs Andrew McKirahan, Ian Krol and Manny Banuelos lead a strong core of hard throwing lefties. RHP Shae Simmons (1-2, 2.91, 23 Ks) is expected to return from Tommy John surgery and could free Foltynewicz or Banuelos for the starting rotation. Veterans Alexei Ogando, David Carpenter and Alex Torres are all in on minor league invites. The lack of MLB ready depth in the starting rotation will make things tough for Atlanta. Of course, the thoughts that Newcome, Ellis and Blair coming to the bigs within the next year or so are encouraging. RHP Julio Teheran (11-8, 4.04, 171 Ks) is the ace of this staff. I would think the Braves would look to trade Teheran during the season as long as he continues to pitch well. Bud Norris, a 15 game winner for Baltimore in 2014, was released last season after pitching horribly (2-9, 7.06). He finished off the year in the San Diego Padres bullpen and pitched okay, not particularly dominating. The Braves will look to Norris to be their number two starter in 2016, followed by Matt Wisler (8-8. 4.71), Williams Perez (7-6, 4,78) and Ryan Weber (0-3, 4.76). If this starting rotation works itself out, it will allow for their bullpen to be great. If not, Foltynewicz and Banuelos will get their shot. The three young pitchers acquired in the off season are unlikely to impact the 2016 club. Twelve of the Braves top sixteen prospects are pitchers led by Newcome, Blair and Ellis. Also among the list are RHPs Touki Toussant and Tyrell Jenkins as well as LHP Kolby Allard. Swanson looks like a star to be and he could come up to the big club late this season. But he is not the only shortstop high on Atlanta's list. Ozhaino Albies seems to be a tremendous glove with the ability to hit for average. Despite not having any power, Albies looks like a legitimate MLB caliber defensive SS. Odds are the 2016 season is not going to look good for the Atlanta Braves. It is for the best, as the next several seasons look more promising as the young talent will continue to prosper through the minor league system. Fredi Gonzalez is given the task of trying to keep the Braves competitive. Unfortunately, it will probably not end well for Fredi, or the 2016 Braves, for that matter. Las Vegas has the Braves Over/ Under at 65, but I expect the Braves to finish worse than that. I got them at 56-106, last place in the NL East as well as last place in all of MLB. The Braves will be able to strengthen their minor league system through the higher draft picks they will gain both this and next year.

There is little to complain about in the eyes of the Detroit Tigers going into the 2015 season. The team went 90-72 in 2014 and looks to be a little bit better offensively going into this season. Adding Yoenis Cespedes (.260, 22, 100 for Oakland and Boston last season) to the offense more than makes up for the loss of RF Torii Hunter (.286, 17, 83). Having Jose Iglesias available for the full season along with another season of MLB development for 3B Nick Castellanos should allow for the team to score more runs. Of course, having a middle of the order which features Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and JD Martinez is the main reason they will score said runs. One of the things the Tigers and GM Dave Dombrowski have prided themselves in is having a deep starting pitching staff. The trade for LHP David Price (15-12, 3.26, 34 starts) added to a strength the team already had. However, the free agent loss of RHP Max Scherzer (18-5, 3.15) to the Washington Nationals and the trade of RHP Rick Porcello (15-13, 3.43) to the Boston Red Sox (in the Cespedes deal) takes away some of the thunder the rotation had. The Tigers did add RHP Alfredo Simon (15-10, 3.44) from the Reds and RHP Shane Greene (5-4, 3.78, 14 starts) from the Yankees. Though both should be effective, it is certainly a step back from what can be expected from Scherzer and Porcello. When I am thinking about the Detroit Tigers not being in the playoffs for the first time since 2010, I am thinking about the Achilles Heal that gave the team fits last year- the bullpen. I think the signing of LHP Tom Gorzelanny (0.86 ERA in 23 games for Brewers last season) is clearly an upgrade over Phil Coke. Outside of that, I see the same old cast that continuously could not come through in a big spot last year. The Tigers will need RHP Joe Nathan (5-4, 4.81, 35 saves) to recover from his worst MLB season and RHP Joakim Soria (2-4, 3.25, 18 saves for Texas and Detroit) to be healthy all season. RHP Joba Chamberlain (2-5, 3.57, 69 games) was up and down and Al Alburquerque (4-1, 2.51, 72 games)- though his numbers looked great, was not used in the 8th or 9th innings. A more prominent role for Alburquerque has been earned and perhaps he will get it this season, even if it comes at the expense of Nathan or Soria. Bruce Rondon comes back from Tommy John surgery and LHP Ian Krol is looking to improve on his 4.96 ERA last year. RHP Joel Hanrahan, signed last year with the hopes he can contribute this year, was released this week after it was announced that he will have his second TJ operation costing him the 2015 season. Price leads the starting staff and I would expect a big bounce back season from RHP Justin Verlander (15-12, 4.54, 32 starts). Verlander was playing hurt last season and it seems he is fully recovered from his 2014 ailments. The Tigers should also expect a little more from RHP Anibal Sanchez (8-5, 3.43, 21 starts), who will be needed if this rotation wants to match up with the Tigers starters of the past. Simon and Greene will round out the rotation but I do have some questions about Simon backing up his 2014 when he hadn't pitched a full season as a starter before. Greene, who looked good with the Yankees, has to deal with teams seeing him for the second and third times. Though the upside of this group is there, I still see more questions than we have had in a long time. The Tigers have the ability to outscore any team in the AL Central and most teams in the American League. Switch hitting DH Victor Martinez (.335, 32, 103, .974 OPS) outperformed one time triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera (.312, 24, 109, 52 2Bs). Cabrera himself was battling injuries last year. The logic behind taking Cabrera off the hot corner made sense, especially when it opened up the opportunity for Miguel to DH and Martinez to play 1B. Perhaps a healthier Cabrera will be able to take advantage of the less stress on defense in 2015. Kinsler (.275, 17, 92) quietly puts up the numbers every season and is a proven leader in the clubhouse. I have been saying for the last couple years that I though JD Martinez was going to become a quality all around offensive player. If you look at my 2012 and 2013 team previews for the Houston Astros, you would see I have been big on him before. His 2014 season (.315, 23, 76 in 123 games) looks like it came out of nowhere. I think he will continue to trend in this direction and feel his 2015 may be even better than last season. Another player who should improve in 2015 is 3B Nick Castellanos (.258, 11, 66). He is only 23 and should be able to cut down on the strikeouts and hit for a higher average as he makes his adjustments. Iglesias is here for his defense but he did manage to hit .303 for the Red Sox and Tigers in 2013. At best, he is probably a .270-.275 hitter but his defense gives the team an upgrade over anything they put out there last season. And the .270 average is a huge upgrade as well. The acquisition of Anthony Gose is a little interesting. He reminds me of a young Michael Bourn- very good speed but may not hit for a high enough average and strikes out way too much. His 2014 season (.226, 2, 13, 15 SB in 94 games) was less than impressive. Rajai Davis (.282, 8, 51, 36 SB) is there to play against lefties and to mentor Gose, just like he did when they were in Toronto. I would be more inclined to use Davis in CF than Gose, but I think the Tigers will likely use Gose more unless he hits for a lower average than he did last season. The Tigers have tried all off season to land a catcher. Alex Avila .218, 11, 47) has not hit in a couple of years and even his defense has digressed a little bit. There seems to be a fit with the Toronto Blue Jays having catcher Dioner Navarro available because of the signing of Russell Martin. However, a deal is not imminent. Since Gose's best attributes are his legs, I'd give him and Davis a shot at leading off. My lineup would be Gose/ Davis CF, Kinsler 2B, Cabrera 1B, Martinez DH, Cespedes LF, Martinez RF, Castellanos 3B, Avila C, Iglesias SS. Iglesias will be the second choice to lead off and expect to see backup catcher Bryan Holliday (.231, 15 RBI in 62 games) get a little more of a chance to play if a trade is not made for a catcher. JD is best suited for the 6th spot; this way he can stay under the radar, where he prospered last season. The Tigers also lack the depth they have had on their bench over the past couple seasons. Having players like Don Kelly and Andy Dirks gave the team options in case of injury. If Gose is good, Davis makes for a very good 4th OF. The infield however, has just Andrew Romine and Hernan Perez, the latter about to turn 24 and with just 75 MLB ABs over three seasons. I would expect the Tigers to watch the waiver wire towards the end of ST and add some depth to their bench. I would be very interested in left hand hitting OF Stephen Moya. Moya hit 35 HR last season in the minors and could get a shot to play a little bit if Victor misses some time to start the season. Buck Farmer will get the first shot to start if Greene struggles and has the makeup to be a solid starting pitcher. The same can be said about LHP Kyle Lobstein. The Tigers will hit, but there are more concerns about their pitching than there has been in a while. As much as I think Verlander and Sanchez will be better than 2014, they will still not account for the loss of Scherzer. The bullpen may be better if Nathan has anything left and Rondon is fully healthy, but it will only max out at being average. Las Vegas has the Tigers at 84 1/2, which I think is a fair number. I am going a little under that, 82-80, 3rd place in the AL Central.

If you were previewing the Cleveland Indians of 2014, one of the things that would be mentioned was the amount of players (notably pitchers) that the team did not have returning. Starting pitchers Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Karmir left as free agents and so did relievers Chris Perez and Joe Smith. The Indians had confidence in their younger pitchers and it paid off in 2014. In fact, their younger pitchers, led by AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (18-9, 2.44, 3 CGs, SHO, 269 Ks) were so effective GM Chris Antonetti was able to deal number one starting pitcher Justin Masterson to the Cardinals. The 2013 Indians won 92 games and made it to the playoffs. The 2014 Indians were 85-77, finishing 3rd place in the AL Central after finishing 2nd a year earlier. What I thought was more impressive about the most recent team was the fact that they have a different identity. Kluber and fellow starting pitchers Trevor Bauer (5-8, 4.28, 26 starts), Danny Salazar (6-8, 4.25, 20 starts), Carlos Carrasco (8-7, 2.55, 40 games, 15 starts) and TJ House (5-3, 3.35, 18 starts) are a big strength for the team that wasn't quite seen a year before. Offensively, the 2013 Indians depended a lot on guys like Jason Giambi, Ryan Raburn, Mark Reynolds (before he was released) and Drew Stubbs. In 2014, they traded their starting SS Asdrubal Cabrera (.261, 14, 61 for Cleveland and Washington), who was arguably one of the core players of the Indians for the past several years. The Indians saw breakout seasons from LF Michael Brantley (.327, 20, 97, 94 RS, 200 H, 45 2B) and C Yan Gomes (.278, 21, 74). Carlos Santana (.241, 27, 85) became a full time 1B after playing a little bit of 3B at the start of the season. The Indians biggest strength coming into this season is their strong starting pitching. Odds are, it can get even better. Kluber had his breakout season, but so did Carrasco. House looked very good when he came up and Salazar is a good pitcher; but Bauer is the pitcher I would bet having the breakout 2015. The Indians signed RHP Gavin Floyd (2-2, 2.65, 9 starts for Braves) which adds to the depth. I'd go with the rotation of Kluber, Carrasco, Bauer, House and Salazar. Salazar should be in a battle with Floyd, who is trying to prove he is healthy after an elbow operation ended his 2014. On the comeback trail also is RHP Shaun Marcum (1-0, 2.08, 9 games, 2 starts in minors with Indians). He can be in the mix for a starting rotation spot or he may be able to win a job as a long reliever. The same can be said for veteran LHP Bruce Chen (2-4, 7.45, 13 games, 7 starts for Royals). The trade of Cabrera opened the door for 21 year old SS Jose Ramirez (.262, 2, 17 in 68 games), who will be the starting SS going into 2015. Ramirez has very good speed and has the ability to hit .280-.300 at the major league level. Though he has been rated as a decent defensive SS, the Indians have been reluctant to play him a lot there in the minor leagues. In fact, out of his 286 minor league games, 199 have been at 2B, where his defensive metrics seem to be a little better. In 2008, the Indians drafted a switch hitting SS with the 8th overall pick. This player has continued to develop during his 3 seasons in the minor leagues and has become one of the top prospects in all of baseball. Francisco Lindor is expected to take over at SS for the Indians as soon as the date clears for his Super Two status to be removed. Lindor has speed and is a superior defensive player. He also has some sneaky power from both sides of the plate, kind of like a young Jose Reyes. The Indians offense got a boost when they acquired Brandon Moss (.234, 25, 81) from the Athletics. Moss can play 1B or DH as well, but for the Indians will take over in RF, making David Murphy (.262, 8, 58) a 4th OF type. Michael Bourn (.257, 3, 27, just 10 SB) seems to be digressing as the Indians may be getting a little buyers remorse. However, Bourn only has two years remaining on his current 4 year, $48 million deal. Speaking of bad contracts, Nick Swisher (.208, 8, 42) is entering the 3rd year of his 4 year, $56 million deal he signed before Bourn was added. Jason Kipnis (.240, 6, 41, 22 SB after hitting .284, 17, 84 in 2013) saw his stock drop drastically last season. Because he battled some injuries all season, I see him as a candidate to have a bounce back 2015. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (.280, 13, 59) emerged as the team's everyday 3B and is expected to man the position again this season. This is the lineup I would go with if I was Indians manager Terry Francona- Ramirez SS, Kipnis 2B, Brantley LF, Santana 1B, Moss RF, Gomes C, Chisenhall 3B, Swisher DH, Bourn CF. Batting leadoff can allow for Ramirez to focus on catching the ball and getting on base and takes the pressure off of Swisher and Bourn, who are no longer focal points of the offense. Lets be honest, if they get anything out of the two of them, it will be a bonus. One thing that does stand out for the Indians is their flexibility. Brantley can play CF, Swisher 1B or the OF, Santana can catch, Moss 1B or DH and Mike Aviles can play 2B, SS, 3B or the OF. Murphy, Raburn and backup C Roberto Perez round out the bench. The Indians were led last season by relievers Cody Allen (6-4, 2.07, 24 saves) and Bryan Shaw (5-5, 2.55, 80 games). Veteran Scott Atchison (6-0, 2.75, 70 games) came out of nowhere to earn another season in Cleveland. LHP Mark Rzepczynski (0-3, 2.74, 73 games) is expected to once again be the team's primary lefty specialist. You should keep a good eye on 22 year old LHP Kyle Crockett. The 2013 4th round draft pick has pitched to a 0.56 ERA in 42 minor league games and made his debut in the major leagues by pitching to a 1.80 ERA in 43 games for the Indians in 2014. He misses bats which makes him a candidate to be more than a lefty on lefty pitcher. Allen pitched well last season, but Crockett looks to have an ability to get some late game attention. Also, look at the starting rotation candidates. If a Floyd or Marcum makes the rotation, perhaps Salazar or House get put into the 8th inning role- both have the stuff to be a closer as well. Outside of Lindor, the Indians have some good offensive prospects including two OFs two we will likely see this season. LH hitting OF Tyler Naquin looks like a natural as a hitter. He has the ability to be a batting champion and should see his high average in the minors translate to the bigs. Taken in the same first round of the 2012 draft (23rd as opposed to 15th) James Ramsey has good power and a solid eye at the plate. He was acquired from St Louis in the deal that made Masterson a Cardinal. Perhaps the Indians can find a way to get Jesus Aguilar into the lineup. He hit 19 HR in the minors in 2014 and got a September callup. Perhaps the flexibility of guys like Santana, Swisher and Moss can allow for Aguilar to get some p-t. The Indians have a pendulum that can swing from where I have them picked to much better than that. The competition in the AL Central is going to make it tough for the Indians to take those necessary steps. I love their starting pitching, but I think they need a lot out of some guys in the lineup that they may not get. Not even counting Swisher and Bourn, Chisenhall has to back up his solid 2014, which is not a given. Though I think Kipnis will be fine, the team has to wonder what was up with his 2014 season. While I like Allen and Crockett in the bullpen, I still do not consider this pen to be very deep. When I look at the Tigers, Royals and White Sox, I see more depth on the roster 1-25. However, I think this Cleveland starting rotation has a chance to be better than anything the other three can throw out there- and that includes Price/ Verlander and Sale/ Samardzijia. Vegas was a little down on the Indians as well, putting them at 83 1/2 for their O/U. I think they will finish just under that, 81-81, 4th place in the AL Central. However, like a lot of teams in this boat, I would not rule them out to make a run in this division. According to my numbers, I have just 4 games separating 4th place from 1st in this division.

Every MLB season, there are a series of players that have "breakout seasons." Among those who can be considered in 2014 are Mets 1B Lucas Duda, Yankees OF Brett Gardner, Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon, Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo, Reds 3B Todd Frazier and Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon, among others. However, the player who has stood out the most has been Cleveland Indians OF Michael Brantley. His 2014 numbers, .324, 17, 76 with 31 2B and .902 OPS, put him up with any of the best players in the American League. While Brantley's place is still behind the likes of AL Stars Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout, the question to beg is whether Brantley is in the same league with those two and some of the best in all of MLB. Looking at the 2013-2014 seasons of Los Angeles Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig (.925 OPS) and the 2014 season of Chicago White Sox 1B Jose Abreu (leading the AL in HR, 31- RBI- 86, SLG- .610 and OPS- .971), you can make a case that Cuba has produced two of the new MLB offensive stars. Guys like Andrew McCutchen and Paul Goldschmidt represent what would be my top six in top offensive players in all of MLB. Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins, Robinson Cano of the Mariners, Troy Tulowitski of the Rockies and David Ortiz of the Red Sox would complete my list of the top ten position players in all of MLB right now. Obviously, this is subject to discussion. However, with the emergence of Brantley, where would he rank among the best in all of baseball? Coming over from Cuba leaves doubt over whether Puig and Abreu are for real because according to MLB, they were unknowns before coming to the USA. But I pose the question about Brantley, the second generation OF who was obtained by the Indians from the Milwaukee Brewers in the mid season trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers, as to how much of a time frame is given before a player like him is considered one of the best in all of baseball. The numbers of this season ranks him as such, but is he not given enough clout because this is the first season he has performed as a top player. His 2013 season was very good, but his performance was on no way on the same level of his performance this season. Perhaps this is the reason he is not spoken about among the top players in the game. In 2013, Brantley hit .284, 10, 73 in 151 games, but finished with just 26 2Bs and a .728 OPS. After debuting in 2009 and playing 72 games in 2010 followed by 114 in 2011, 2014 is Brantley's 3rd full MLB season. Brantley's 2014 performance will raise the expectations of his 2015 and beyond. Fantasy owners will judge his 2014 numbers and if they believe in them, will use Brantley as a franchise type player. Based on his 2014 numbers, he has become the Indians franchise player, surpassing the likes of Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis, Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher. The Indians are struggling to remain at .500, but are there because of what Brantley has done. He certainly has to back up his breakout season to get the reputation of a top overall MLB player, but he deserves credit for what he has done this season. Like I mentioned before, Michael's father Mickey (Michael Charles Sr.) Brantley played 4 seasons in the big leagues for the Seattle Mariners from 1986-1989, having a breakout season in 1987. He hit .302, 15, 54 with a .842 OPS in 94 games that season. In 1988, he played in a career high 149 games, hitting .263, 15, 56, but his OPS dropped to .642. After a disappointing start to the 1989 season, he was sent to the minors where he would finish his professional career playing in AAA for the Mariners, Brewers, Reds, Astros and Giants organizations. He would finish his professional career with the Yomiuri Giants of the Japanese Pacific League. Michael Jr. was one of four players traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Indians in the deal that brought Sabathia to the Brewers for the pennant chase. OF Matt LaPorta was the top prospect dealt by the Brewers, but he never panned out. The other two players in the deal are no longer in baseball.

I think the Braves can win the NL East, even with the strength of the Nationals and the Phillies. Similar to the way everybody jumped on the Phillies band wagon the last couple seasons, the same has been said about the Nationals this season. As stacked as the Nationals are, the same was said about the Phillies last season. The Braves added OFs Justin Upton, BJ Upton and RHP Jordan Walden to their team as well as 3B Chris Johnson. Minor acquisitions include SS Ramiro Pena and catcher Gerald Laird. While the Uptons make their OF significantly better, they have to get over the loss of future HOF 3B Chipper Jones to retirement and OF Michael Bourn to free agency and INF/ OF Martin Prado to the Justin Upton trade. They essentially traded Jones, Bourn and Prado for Upton, Upton and Johnson. Jones in his last season hit .287, 14, 62, while Bourn hit .274, 9, 57 with 42 SB and 10 3Bs. Prado hit .301, 10, 70 and led the team with 186 hits and 42 2Bs. BJ hit .246, 28, 78 last season while Justin had a down season, hitting .267, 17, 67 for the Diamondbacks. Johnson hit .281, 15, 76 for the Astros and Diamondbacks last season. He will split time with Juan Francisco (.234, 9, 32 in 92 games), who played a utility role last season. Francisco may even start opening day. The Braves have Jason Heyward (.269, 27, 82), Freddy Freeman (.259, 23, 94) and Dan Uggla (.220, 19, 78). As Uggla needs to bounce back from a rough season, so does catcher Brian McCann (.230, 20, 67). Andrelton Simmons (.289, 3, 19 in 49 games) is expected to become an offensive force at SS. I'd line the Braves up like this: B Upton CF, Heyward RF, J Upton LF, Freeman 1B, Uggla 2B, McCann C, Johnson/ Francisco 3B, Simmons SS. Reed Johnson, Laird, Pena and Jordan Shafer lead a decent Atlanta bench. The starting pitching may or may not be deep, depending on how its looked at. Tim Hudson, Paul Maholm, Kris Medlen, Mike Minor and Julio Teheran will be the starting rotation with Brandon Beachy joining the team perhaps in the second half of the season. Medlen (10-1, 1.57 in 50 games, 12 starts with 120 Ks in 138 IP) was the biggest story of the Atlanta rotation last season. Hudson (16-7, 3.62) is the ace, with Maholm (13-11, 3.57) and Medlen probably two and three in the circle. Minor (11-10, 4.12) could very well break out this season as can Teheran (4 runs in 6 1/3 IP) giving the rotation a huge upside. If Medlen, Minor and Teheran struggle, and Beachy does not come back healthy, they will miss Tommy Hanson dearly. The bullpen is the strength of the team with the game's best closer at the moment Craig Kimbrel (3-1, 1.01, 42 saves with 116 Ks in 62 1/3 IP) and two solid set up men in Jonny Venters (5-4, 3.22) and Eric O'Flaherty (3-0, 1.73). Walden (3-2, 3.46) had 32 saves in 2011 for the Angels and can throw nearly 100 MPH. LHP Luis Avilan (1-0, 2.00 in 31 games) is just 23 and will make an impact this season. I think the Braves will go well this season. They won 94 games last year, but I see them winning 90 in a very competitive NL. Vegas has their over/ under at 86, so it is an easy over. 90-72 is good enough for 3rd place in the NL East and a place in the Wild Card play in game this season.

On to the teams I have in the playoffs for the 2013 season. Since we are now talking wild card, the last spot should come down to the last week of the season with teams like the Mariners, Rangers and Orioles being in it until the end. The Indians fill the bill of the team that had much more talent on it than it showed on the field. I thought the Indians were a little overrated coming into last season. Their pre-2012 over/ under was 86 1/2, I didn't think they were an 86/ 87 win team. However, I did not think they would be as bad as they were; this team seemed better than the 68-94 record they finished with. It ended with the firing of manager Manny Acta. Expecting a rebuild, the Indians had players such as Asdrubal Cabrera and Chris Perez on the trading block. Shin-Soo Choo was traded to the Reds for Drew Stubbs and Didi Gregorius, with Gregorius sent to Arizona for Trevor Bauer. Terry Francona was hired as manager, a little time went by and the front office did an about face. Nick Swisher was signed, they added Brett Myers and Mark Reynolds. They traded for Mike Aviles and took chances on Jason Giambi, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Scott Kazmir. They capped off their offseason by signing CF Michael Bourn, a sign the team is not rebuilding. While considering this team a contender, it is worth mentioning what did not work out last season. To just blame it on Acta is a little overboard, though he did not handle the adversity well last season. Ubaldo Jimenez (9-17, 5.40) was terrible last season and Justin Masterson (11-15, 4.93) was not that much better. Jimenez could be a lost cause, so the Indians are hoping he can regain close to the form he had in Colorado. Masterson was coming off a season where he pitched to a 3.21 ERA, something he has the ability to repeat. Brett Myers, signed to be a starting pitcher, had two bulldog like seasons for the last place Astros before taking over as closer last season. Carlos Carrasco, obtained in the Cliff Lee trade, returns after missing a year due to injury. Zack McAllister (6-8, 4.24) has a chance to be a very good pitcher. Kazmir has a good chance to make the team if he can beat out Carrasco, but Matsuzaka has a tough decision to make as he weighs the minors or a release. The Indians strength lies with its bullpen. Perez (0-4, 3.59, 39 saves) leads the crew. Joe Smith (7-4, 2.96 in 72 games) and Vinny Pestano (3-3, 2.57 in 70 games) team with former Red Sox RHP Matt Albers (3-1, 2.39 in 63 games) to give the team some depth. RHP Cody Allen has a chance to be a sleeper, one who can emerge from the group to be an 8th inning guy. LHP Tony Sipp went to Arizona in the deal that brought Albers to Cleveland (as well as Bauer and Stubbs), so the team will rely on LHP Nick Hagadone to get left hand hitters out. David Huff, who can start or relieve, can also take on that role. The offense intrigues me. They already had SS Cabrera (.270, 16, 66), 2B Jason Kipnis (.257, 14, 76) and C Carlos Santana (.252, 18, 76). Michael Brantley (.288, 6, 60) will move from CF to LF, with the rest of the lineup getting a facelift. Swisher (.294, 24, 93) easily replaces the offense they got from 1B Casey Kotchman last season (.229, 12, 55). Reynolds (.223, 23, 69) will strike out a lot, but could hit more HRs as the every DH. Bourn (.274, 9, 54, 10 3B, 42 SB) takes over as the CF and leadoff batter. Aviles (.250, 13, 60) takes over at 3B with Stubbs (.213, 13, 40 in 136 games) playing RF. The team inherited a lot of Ks with Stubbs and Reynolds, and even Bourn, but they should be able to hit a lot more HRs and produce many more runs. Lonnie Chisenhall will get some time at 3B; he may be the opening day starter. However, I'd go with Aviles. The Indians lineup should look like this: Bourn CF, Kipnis 2B, Santana C, Swisher 1B, Cabrera SS, Reynolds DH, Brantley LF, Stubbs RF, Aviles 3B. Yes, they will lead the AL in Ks, but they will also be near the top in run production. I talked about last year's over/ under being 86 1/2. Vegas was not so kind to them this season, putting their number at 77 1/2. I think they are better than that. However, they need to get something out of their starting pitching. I am thinking Masterson will bounce back and they should get something positive out of Myers. McAllister should have a big impact. If none of the preceding happen, my prediction of the Indians making the playoffs as a Wild Card team will go for naught. This is where Bauer comes in. He has ace type stuff and his presence will be a shot in the arm, lengthening the rotation. I see them finishing 85-77, 3rd place in the AL Central. Because of the parity of many teams finishing near the .500 level or better, 85 wins could spell a Wild Card berth in the AL this season.

As more time goes by, the New York Mets and their fans will become more receptive of Marlon Byrd playing in the team's outfield. However, as evidenced by the effort made to sign free agent Michael Bourn, the Mets still would like to add to the talent level in their outfield, currently one of the worst mixes in all of baseball. Obviously, with spring training about to begin, there is a chance that no further moves will be made and the Mets will go into opening day April 1st with the outfield as it looks right now. At this point, the All Star middle of the order power hitter is not obtainable at this point. But the Mets can bring in another player that can make their lineup better than it is right now. Face it, Kirk Nieuwenhuis (who would have averaged over 230 strikeouts if he played a full MLB season in 2012) and Mike Baxter have to show they are different kinds of players for them to be trusted to play every day, in my opinion. I do not mind Nieuwenhuis being part of a platoon, but think he would be better served spending the entire 2013 season in AAA where he can work on his problems striking out excessively. Baxter is a good pinch hitter and late game outfield replacement, perhaps in a double switch. I cannot see him playing every day. Though Collin Cowgill was a top prospect with the Arizona Diamondbacks a couple years ago, I don't know what to expect. The same can be said about minor leaguers Andrew Brown and Brandon Hicks. The Cleveland Indians landed themselves Bourn. With the addition of Nick Swisher and Drew Stubbs, the Indians have an overcrowded OF. If I were the Mets, I'd inquire about Michael Brantley. The Indians starting CF of a year ago played in 149 games for the Tribe, hitting .288, 6, 60 with 37 2Bs and 12 stolen bases. At age 26, Brantley may cost the Mets more than it would to obtain, lets say, Stubbs. Stubbs is three years older than Brantley, and has stolen 30, 40 and 30 bases over the past three seasons. The problem with Stubbs is he strikes out at a worse pace than anybody in MLB. In 2012, he led the NL with 205 Ks leading off for the Reds. He does have some power and the Mets should be interested in him for the right price. I'd prefer Brantley, but at what cost? I would expect the Indians to want INF Wilmer Flores plus for Brantley, while Stubbs would not cost nearly as much. I would expect to see one of the two OFs moved before the regular season starts. The Seattle Mariners have brought in, among others, Jason Bay, Raul Ibanez and Michael Morse, giving them a series of outfielders to trade if they wish. Franklin Gutierrez played just 40 games last season, but put up respectable offensive numbers in 2009 and 2010. He plays exceptional defense and the price may be low, considering he is coming off two injury plagued seasons. Michael Saunders, in my opinion, would cost slightly less than it would to get Brantley. A left hand hitting CF as well, Saunders has more power and strikes out a little more. He hit .247, 19, 51 in 139 games for Seattle while stealing 21 bases. All numbers that could be improved on with another season under his belt. Casper Wells would be a solid option for a team that does not know what the outfield will look like. Gutierrez, Saunders, Stubbs and Brantley would all become the Mets every day CF. Wells could play center, but does not have to. He also can be a platoon player with Nieuwenhuis if necessary. My order of preference is the same as the order of what the Mets would have to give up the most talent for. I'd prefer Brantley, Saunders, Gutierrez, Stubbs or Wells, in that order. Even Wells gives the Mets more OF depth than they have right now.

During the past three off-seasons, one of the top free agent players have been a defensive player whose top attributes include ability to steal bases and run. Carl Crawford and Jose Reyes got their contracts, signing with Boston and Miami, respectively. However, during the second year of Crawford's 7 year, $142 million contract, he was traded from the Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Reyes, after signing his 6 year, $106 million contract with the Marlins, was traded just one year into his new deal to Toronto during the early winter. Bourn, through his agent Scott Boras, wants a 5 year deal for about $75 million as he waits out free agency. Apparently, Bourn has stuck to those demands as he is still a free agent as we enter the second week of February. Bourn had a good 2012 season, arguably his best, but clearly is not the player Reyes or even Crawford. Bourn hit .274, 9, 57 (his best career HR and RBI numbers) with 96 RS, 171 hits, 26 2B, 10 3B and 42 SB for Atlanta last season. He also struck out 155 times, a lot for a leadoff batter. Crawford's walk year got him his contract, as he put up borderline MVP numbers for the Rays in 2010. Crawford hit .307, 19, 90 with 110 RS, 184 hits, 30 2B, 13 3B, 47 SB and 104 Ks. The only stat Bourn had a higher number was Ks, by a considerable margin. Reyes hit .337, winning the batting title for the 2011 Mets, also finishing with 101 RS, 181 hits, 31 2Bs, 16 3Bs, 7 HRs, 44 RBI, 39 SB and just 41 Ks. Bourn had more HRs, RBIs and SBs while playing in 29 more games than Reyes. Whether you think the other contracts for Crawford and Reyes are justified or not, there should be some common agreement on Bourn. The strikeouts are alarming, as well the fact that he stole just 42 bases last year, after leading the league the past three seasons. I do not look at Bourn as a bad player, just one that should not get a contract for longer than two or three seasons. And he certainly should not get the average annual value of a deal close to the other two. Bourn would be a good pickup for a few teams, but he has to lower his demands. If he gets a two or three year deal, he has a chance to get another big contract once he hits free agency again.

The Mets may or may not be interested in free agent OF Michael Bourn. It is safe to say the amount of interest has to do with how much of a chance the Mets have of having their first round draft pick in this year's draft (11th overall). While Bourn would give the Mets a major league outfielder they do not have, there may be some questions about how a player who relies solely on his legs after the age of 30. It is easy to look at the positives; Bourn plays a very good defensive centerfield and will steal several bases. Bourn has won two Gold Gloves and led the NL in stolen bases from 2009 through 2011. He also nearly doubled his career high with 9 HR playing his home games in Atlanta. He also drew a career high 70 bases on balls. Put that together with the Mets current OF situation and it is difficult to spin a signing of Bourn as negative. Prior to the 2002 season, the Mets brought back Roger Cedeno on a 4 year contract for about $18 million. Cedeno stole 66 bases for the Mets in the 1999 season and was coming off a 55 SB season with Detroit in 2001. Cedeno was 27 at the time, and quickly fell off his base stealing pace, finishing with 25 in 2002 and 14 in 2003, playing in 149 and 148 games, respectively. After spring training in 2004, he was traded to St Louis, where the Mets were on the hook for a good amount of his 2004 salary of over $5 million. However, the Cardinals picked up the tab for the last season of his contract. Of course, we all remember the story of Vince Coleman. From the day he arrived in St Louis, he was the premier leadoff hitter in the National League. He led the NL in stolen bases every season from 1985 to 1990, the latter season in just 124 games. As a free agent after the 1990 season, he signed a four year deal with the Mets for about $13 million. Though he had off the field issues as well, Coleman would miss 251 games over the next three seasons with the Mets. He was traded to the Royals before the 1994 season for Kevin McReynolds with the Mets paying a portion of his 1994 salary. Look at the stats, Bourn is very similar player to that of Coleman, who would have been a centerfielder had the Cardinals not had Willie McGee. Both players had high strikeout totals for leadoff batters. Coleman also doubled his career high in HRs on his walk year. Bourn has had a higher OBP than Coleman, particularly because of his 2012 season, but not by much. Bourn's recent run of stolen base crowns reminds me very much Coleman's track record. I still don't feel the Mets will end up with Bourn, especially with teams like Texas and Baltimore needing outfielders. But, if they do, it would be hard for the Mets to explain how they could sign Bourn, a leadoff hitter considered to be a step below Jose Reyes, and let Reyes walk last offseason without making an offer. The first round draft pick aside, I would prefer to see the Mets pursue another outfielder rather than Bourn. However, if Bourn signed with the Mets, I acknowledge that it is an upgrade from what they have right now. And, if they surrender a 2nd round pick in this year's draft, it is much less of a loss than moving valuable minor league players to make a trade. But still, looking at past signings of Cedeno and Coleman, it is hard to have confidence it will turn out better. Even if it doesn't, Bourn is much better than any OF the Mets have right now.

With the new collective bargaining agreement in place between the MLB players association and its owners, this is the first offseason we get to see it in place. It is expected to be a smoother transaction process for free agents as there will be less in regards to compensation if a team loses a player to free agency. One of the new plans is for teams to extend a qualifying offer to a player who is to be a free agent. The qualifying offer was determined to be a one year contract, paying that player $13.3 million. While a team had the right to make the offer to any one of their pending free agents, most were made with the assumption that the offer would be rejected, allowing the player to pursue a more lucrative deal in both salary and years. Teams will have the right to draft pick compensation if a player rejects the qualifying offer and takes a deal elsewhere. According to www.baseballreference.com, out of all the free agents who filed, only 9 were given qualifying offers. For most, it was just a formality, as few are likely to take the offer. Players such as Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, BJ Upton, Nick Swisher, Rafael Soriano and Kyle Lohse all see the grass greener as they anticipate getting multiyear deals this offseason. With the decision by Mariano Rivera to come back for another season, this means only Hamilton remains a logical possibility to sign long term with his current team. Soriano recently opted out of the final year of his deal after saving over 40 games in 2012 subbing for an injured Rivera. But, even if Hamilton remains with Texas, it is probable that all six of the above mentioned will reject their offers. As for the remaining three, David Ortiz signed a two year deal to remain in Boston, using the qualifying offer as a negotiating point in his $26 million deal. Hiroki Kuroda would probably like a two year deal, but after making just $10 million in 2011, it may make sense for him to take the offer since the Yankees are unlikely to commit to more than one season. The Yankees have continued to state they intend to keep their payroll under $189 million for the 2014 season, meaning they have to perhaps consider signing free agents just for the 2013 season. In addition, Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche may decide to take his offer. He signed a two year, $16 million contract prior to the 2011 season. The deal included a $10 million team option for the 2013 season. Obviously, the $13.3 million is more than the option, but it is unclear whether LaRoche will settle on the one year contract. The Nationals are expected to be in the mix for Bourn and Upton so its unclear whether they would be looking to commit to LaRoche long term.